The Wait Is Over: The CorkSport Performance Intake Manifold Is Here

Can you believe we started this project back in 2012?

Yes, it’s been a long journey, and a few too many “two weeks”, only to find that more improvements were needed. We’ll be frank, this has been a challenging project to tackle, but we have prevailed. We have pushed past the challenges faced in manufacturing the complex design, and are proud to announce that we are ready to present you with the most complete solution for the Mazdaspeed 3 and Mazdaspeed 6 platform. Introducing the Mazdaspeed Intake Manifold!

Intake Manifold for the Mazdaspeed 3/6

The CorkSport Intake Manifold is here for those of us who want some more flow in our lives.

Our design focuses on performance without sacrificing OEM fitment or drivability. With equal flowing runners, higher flow than OE, and TMIC fitment, it truly is a complete solution to the OE intake manifold.

Close up shot of the CorkSport Intake Manifold installed on the Mazdaspeed engine.

Fitment is huge when it comes down to large engine components like intake manifolds. While designing the CorkSport IM, we wanted to retain as many OE features and mounting locations as possible while maintaining neat and tidy packaging. By doing so, we were able to keep components such as the TMIC, OEM throttle body, MAP Sensor, and even the oil dipstick bracket in OE locations. This all means a relatively quick and easy part to install, but we made it even easier by clearing some space around hard-to-reach areas.

The CorkSport Intake Manifold may fit like OE, but that’s where the similarities end.

The CorkSport Mazdaspeed Intake Manifold is designed with performance and drive-ability in mind, with the larger plenum design and long cylinder runners. Since the intake plenum is about three times larger than OE, there is an increase in high RPM power capacity without sacrificing throttle response and drivability. By maintaining the length of the cylinder runners (vs the typical aftermarket intake manifold), we improved mid-range power while still having peak RPM capacity with the single runner design vs. an OE split runner design.

Mazdaspeed Intake Manifold  with larger plenum design

The increase in performance also comes with an increase in engine health.

By optimizing the design for equal flow between runners, the CorkSport IM eliminates the flow imbalance of the OE intake manifold. This significant imbalance causes cylinders to run excessively lean or rich, affecting engine durability and performance. Check out the graph below to see the difference. Not only does the CorkSport Intake Manifold outflow the OE design by 70CFM per runner on average but also significantly reduces the flow imbalance to 2% or less vs the OE imbalance of 21%.

This means your engine can run stronger, longer, and have a higher potential to make power.

CFM Bar Graph for the CorkSport Mazdaspeed Intake Manifold

But enough talk about numbers and flow, let’s SEE some numbers. The dyno graph below shows the difference before and after the CS IM on a Mazdaspeed3 with a CorkSport TD05H-18G turbo equipped. Not only was there an increase in power and torque across the entire RPM range, but the turbo also spooled around 100RPM faster than with the OE intake manifold.

Dynograph testing for the Mazdaspeed Intake Manifold

But wait there’s more! Along with the overall design improvement over OE; there are additional design features that you need to know about.

  • Firstly, we increased the size of the throttle body opening. This allows the OE throttle body to work great but also allows for a larger throttle body to be installed without modification.
  • Next, there are added fueling ports for each runner. They are standard 1/8-27 NPT ports that can be used with methanol nozzles or other fueling options.
  • Finally, there is an extra 1/8-27 NPT port that can be used for boost controllers, gauges, or the like.
Mazdaspeed intake manifold

Now you may be thinking, But there aren’t any larger throttle bodies available. To that, we say, not just YET!

the CorkSport throttle body on the Mazdaspeed intake manifold

Along with the great features of this new Performance Intake Manifold, we are also providing nearly all of the hardware you need for installation; that is, the brass fittings that come pre-installed on the intake manifold and the additional hardware and hoses needed for auxiliary components.

Mazdaspeed intake manifold hardware included

Now we would like to circle back to where we started with this conversation:

We here at CorkSport pride ourselves on doing everything in our power to provide you, our customers, with the best possible products out there. We also are committed to being real with you guys as well, because we too are Mazda-lovers who get a thrill out of overcoming the toughest challenges that stand between us and the ultimate car experience.

The most challenging aspect of this project has been getting the manufacturing to an acceptable quality, and consistent among each intake manifold. We have tested the intake manifold on multiple cars in-house and with various beta testers, the results speak for themselves: this is an exceptional performance product that your Mazdaspeed will love to have.

Believe us when we say that this design is tough to manufacture,  and that process results in no two parts being exactly the same visually; but it also means that each manifold has its own unique look and character, the same way our cars do.

Mazdaspeed intake manifold interior view
top view of the CS mazdaspeed intake manifold

We guarantee that the CorkSport Intake Manifold will give you the best performance out there, but if for whatever reason you’re not satisfied with the unique look of your IM, please contact us and we’ll be more than happy to take care of you like we always do. – We’ve got your back!

The intake manifold installed on the Mazdaspeed engine.

That being said, if you’re looking to take your Mazdaspeed to the next level in both speed and reliability, the CorkSport Mazdaspeed Intake Manifold is the best comprehensive solution on the market.

These babies are only available while supplies last, so don’t wait, they’ll be gone before you know it!

Order 2007-2013 Mazdaspeed 3 & 6 Intake Manifold

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Dear Car Clubs: We Want To Hear From You!

Dear Car Guy,

Did you know there are LOTS of Car Guys and Gals out there in the Mazdaspeed world?

From Nator Clubs and Mazda Nova Clubs to Mazdaspeed and Meet Up Clubs, the branding is slightly different for each area and each group, but the heart and soul of the people who get involved stays the same.

Great people, big appetites (for speed and food), awesome tastes in beers and booze, and a genuine care for their fellow club members. I have made sure to attend meets and get to know the nitty gritty center of our Mazda Community, mostly because who doesn’t want to do Car stuff with their Car friends. However, I also do it because it’s an integral part of CorkSport’s vision, to give unprecedented levels of customer support and connection to the Mazda Community.

We ultimately just want to LOVE OUR CUSTOMERS, and I’ll take one for the team and meet you Guys and Gals face to face.

We’ve been to the MidWest Nator meet, the East Coast Nator Meet, and the Boise Mazda Take-over event this past year. We have also hosted our CorkSport Dyno day and given the west coast Mazda community a place to gather as well! Let me just say, it’s been amazing getting to know everyone, and seeing some awesome familiar faces.

The one thing that really stands out for me is the sense of community that is built at the center of all of this. I’ll admit I’m a people person, so of course YOU are my favorite part of working for CorkSport, however, it’s a community like no other, regardless of the title it goes by. The values of the Mazda community stay fairly similar, with mods, install days, track days, meet ups, and expansion of the love we all share for the Mazda Platform.

A group of awesome individuals, getting together, teaching those who don’t know how, and taking are of those who do (and still break down).

There are Groups all over the US (and I’m sure international), that we don’t even know about. It’s my hope that when you read this, you pass me your group pages, club names, social addresses, etc., so that CorkSport can help others in your area connect!

Near and Far, no matter where you are, let CorkSport hear from you!

Until next time, stay safe, stay fast, stay happy my friends!

-Kim @ CorkSport

 

 

4 inch Intake and a Clean Engine Bay? The CorkSport 51R Battery Box & ECU Relocation is NO Compromise

Mazdaspeed 3 Engine Bay with battery reolocation kit and 4inch Short Ram Intake.

CorkSport is proud to announce the new ECU Mazdaseed Relocation Battery Box designed for the 51R battery and 4” short ram intake systems.

Mazdaspeed 3 Relocation Battery Box 51r

We love the clean and simple look of the CorkSport full-size battery box and we know you do also. Our goal was to bring that same level of awesomeness to all the big power guys and gals running 4” intakes and 51R batteries in your Mazdaspeed.

We knew we couldn’t compromise on the fit and finish you’ve grown to love, and this new battery box doesn’t disappoint.

The greatest challenge came in the form of locating the ECU inside the box; as that is the whole point of the CorkSport battery boxes. With a bit of massaging and adjusting, we innovated a sleek solution for the ECU placement without compromising the style and fitment of the battery box.

In the original CorkSport Mazdaspeed battery box, the ECU was located on the front panel. This packaged well with the full-size battery and made access easy, but in order to increase the clearance for a 4” intake system in your Mazadaspeed, we had to reduce the width of the battery box as much as possible. This required us to rethink the location of the ECU and the overall design of the battery box to accommodate it. Check out the computer-drafted model below.

Design of the ECU Mazdaspeed Relocation Battery Box

Moving the ECU to the side provided ample clearance for a 4” intake system and retained the standard battery location. The front of the battery box had to be extended out a bit, but this also gave us a chance to keep the wiring harness inside the box to maintain the high-level fit and finish. To finish off the installation, the battery is retained with M6 studs fastened into the battery box and a 0.120” anodized aluminum bracket.

Overall the new Mazdaspeed 51R ECU Relocation Battery Box hit all the marks for fit, finish, and performance.

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Installed Mazdaspeed ECU Battery Box Relocation Kit.

If you’re looking to downsize your battery, upsize your intake system, or are just plain tired of looking at all those unsightly wires then let the CorkSport 51R ECU Relocation Battery Box be the answer to your goal.

Click HERE to View Product & Purchase

-Barett @ CS

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Is Your Chick Flappy? – Mazda 3/MS3 Mud Flaps

Merry Christmas CorkSport family!!

Oh wait, it’s not December. It sure can feel like it sometimes when you are getting more and more parts in the mail. Am I right?

So let’s get down to business here.

This will be the one and only time you hear me say that your side chick needs to be MORE FLAPPY! If you want to protect her skirts, and booty, then making her flappy is a definite must.

CorkSport is proud to announce that we are bringing back our 2010-2013 Mazda 3/MS3 Mud Flaps by popular demand. Ask and you shall receive!

Made from 80 durometer urethane, these 1/8 Inch thick flaps will protect all of your painted surfaces, and result in a cleaner rear hatch.

How does this really affect you? Well, have you ever tried wiping without toilet paper? I can tell you that it can be a tad bit messy. Go ahead and skip the dirty booty by adding these to your Mazda 3/Mazdaspeed 3. 2010-2013 Mazda 3 & MS3 Mud Flaps (Set of 4)

A few extra tidbits about the mud flaps:
  • Durable 80A 1/8inch thick polyurethane.
  • CorkSport logo laser etched into the mud flap.
  • 2-year limited warranty.

These are a must-have if you are trying to increase style while still being functional. I can tell you that these definitely help to keep the rear hatch cleaner makes it easier to keep the entire car cleaner for longer periods of time.

Don’t forget to check out our CorkSport 7th Gear Membership while you are buying these for your “woman”.

Cheers,

Luke

The Engine Build Process on a 2009 MazdaSpeed 3

A Mazdaspeed bent valve.
The bent valve on my Mazdaspeed.

What’s up, fellow Mazda enthusiasts!

You’ve probably heard the phrase “built block” lately on social media or at your local car meet, but you might be wondering what that actually means. In fact, you’ve probably heard it enough times that you don’t even notice it. For you newbies, it’s when the engine internals are replaced with performance parts. Whether you do or don’t understand what a built block is, I thought I would share my knowledge and experience through the engine building process for my 2009 Mazdaspeed 3.

The incident

The moment we all dread (or maybe even look forward to?) finally happened … zoom zoom BOOM (ZZB).  I was merging onto the highway, within the speed limit, when the engine went silent and my dashboard became a Christmas tree of lights. I tried to start it … nothing. Well, shit.

I called the tow truck and brought my Mazdaspeed back to CorkSport HQ. A compression test gave me the quick, sad story. It was 0 0 0 0 across the board. Obviously, something gave out. That something turned out to be the friction washers on the crankshaft.

I now pronounce you piston and valve. You may kiss the valve.

The diagnosis

The engine slipped timing and bent all of the valves. Luckily, I didn’t vent the engine block in the process, so that could be reused. After all this, I didn’t trust the engine. So it was time to get built!

A 2009 Mazdaspeed bare block.
The bare block from my Mazdaspeed.

I pulled the engine and transmission from the vehicle and stripped them down to the bare components so the machine shop could do their magic. But, before we could let them start, I had to get some parts ordered for the machine shop to consider in the build tolerance. Just look at that stack of money … I mean parts.

The engine build parts

Forged Mazdaspeed internals.
Forged internals for the Mazdaspeed.

The bare engine block, a new used cylinder head, ACT 6-Puck clutch, and forged internals were sent to M & B Cylinder Heads for some much-needed love. The block was bored and cross-hatched to match up with the pistons, the main bearing journals were line honed where needed, and the deck surface was cut down just a hair to provide a new surface that’s true and flat. Since I wasn’t going for just a bare bones build, I opted to have some added processes done to help with reliability and performance.

  1. I planned to run without the balance shaft, commonly called a BSD (balance shaft delete), to increase the oil capacity of the oil pan. This would remove some rotating mass to help the engine rev more freely. However, this does come with some compromises, mainly in severe NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) the driver experiences. For this reason, I had the rotating assembly (crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons, clutch assembly, and crank pulley) balanced to further reduce vibrations.
  2. My build goal was at least 450 whp to further benefit the effect of the CorkSport Mazdaspeed camshafts, so I had the cylinder head ported to improve flow. The intake runners were opened up and cut to a single runner setup along with the exhaust ports. Both intake and exhaust had most of the work performed on the “bowl” area of the runners — the area just above the valve seat. To top it off, the combustion chamber was touched up to remove any sharp points to help reduce hot spots that may cause detonation.

Check out the cylinder head porting:

Mazdaspeed single runner.
Here’s the single runner.
Mazdaspeed exhaust runner.
And here’s the exhaust runner.

The engine build operation

After what felt like an eternity, we got all the completed parts back from M & B and were ready to begin the assembly process. This is when I really stepped back and let Vincent take the lead. He’s the master when it comes to engine blueprinting and assembly.

The blueprinting process is arguably the most critical and time-consuming process of the engine build process. Each cylinder diameter is measured at three different vertical locations to determine cylinder taper, then measured again 90 degrees from the previous locations to determine cylinder roundness.  The piston outer diameter is measured as well and verified for the cylinder it was matched to at the machine shop. Once the block and pistons are confirmed, then the finer details are set in motion with the piston ring gaps, the main bearing and connecting rod bearing crush, and setting the main and head studs. I’m just skimming the surface here. Please note that all of this is measured down to the tens-of-thousandths of an inch. That’s 0.0001” for clarity. This really is a precise art.

Mazdaspeed engine build blueprint papers.
Precision means paperwork. Here are the blueprint papers for the Mazdaspeed engine build.

With the short block assembled, it’s time to focus on the cylinder head. The cylinder head almost seems easy after the short block assembly. The cylinder head comes assembled with the seals, valves, and springs from the machine shop. What’s left to Vincent is the tappet and camshaft installation. The tappets are non-adjustable solid tappets and each has a specific and precise thickness. Once the camshafts are installed, the gap between the camshaft base circle and the tappet is measured and adjusted until the correct gap is achieved. Then the complete the cylinder head can be installed on the short block and the head tightening sequence performed.

If you want to see a really awesome video of this whole process, including a bunch of detail I haven’t added to this blog, you’re in luck (thanks to CorkSport’s Brett White).

I hope you enjoyed this tale as much as I enjoyed writing it. This not the end of my build, so hang tight for the rest of the engine and vehicle in a later post. We’d love to hear about your build, whether it’s a few bolt-on parts or a crazy built engine and car. Comment below and tell us about it!

Barrett @ CS

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